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e profile； must recede gently and uniformly in the direction of the eyes； where the cartilage ceases； there may be a slight elevation； but not so marked as to make the nose aquiline； which is not pleasing in women； the lower part must be less strongly colored than the ears； but not of a chilly whiteness； and the middle partition above the lips lightly tinted with red。 The mouth； our author would have rather small； and neither projecting to a point； nor quite flat； with the lips not too thin； and fitting neatly together； an accidental opening； that is； when the woman is neither speaking nor laughing； should not display more than six upper teeth。 As delicacies of detail； he mentions a dimple in the upper lip； a certain fullness of the under lip； and a tempting smile in the left corner of the mouth and so on。 The teeth should not be too small； regular； well marked off from one another； and of the color of ivory； and the gums must not be too dark or even like red velvet。 The chin is to be round； neither pointed nor curved outwards； and growing slightly red as it rises； its glory is the dimple。 The neck should be white and round and rather long than short； with the hollow and the Adam's apple but faintly marked； and the skin at every movement must show pleasing lines。 The shoulders he desires broad； and in the breadth of the bosom sees the first condition of its beauty。 No bone may be visible upon it； its fall and swell must be gentle and gradual； its color 'candidissimo。' The leg should be long and not too hard in the lower parts； but still not without flesh on the shin； which must be provided with white； full calves。 He likes the foot small； but not bony； the instep （it seems） high； and the color white as alabaster。 The arms are to be white； and in the upper parts tinted with red； in their consistence fleshy and muscular； but still soft as those of Pallas； when she stood before the shepherd on Mount Idain a word； ripe； fresh； and firm。 The hand should be white； especially towards the wrist； but large and plump； feeling soft as silk； the rosy palm marked with a few； but distinct and not intricate lines； the elevations in it should be not too great； the space between thumb and forefinger brightly colored and without wrinkles； the fingers long； delicate； and scarcely at all thinner towards the tips； with nails clear； even； not too long nor to square； and cut so as to show a white margin about the breadth of a knife's back。
Aesthetic principles of a general character occupy a very subordinate place to these particulars。 The ultimate principles of beauty； according to which the eye judges 'senza appello；' are for Firenzuola a secret； as he frankly confesses； and his definitions of 'Leggiadria；' 'Grazia；' 'Aria；' 'Maesta；' 'Vaghezza；' 'Venusta；' are partly； as has been remarked； philological； and partly vain attempts to utter the unutterable。 Laughter he prettily defines； probably following some old author； as a radiance of the soul。 The literature of all countries can； at the close of the Middle Ages； show single attempts to lay down theoretic principles of beauty； but no other work can be compared to that of Firenzuola。 Brantome； who came a good half…century later； is a bungling critic by his side； because governed by lasciviousness and not by a sense of beauty。
Description of Human Life
Among the new discoveries made with regard to man； we must reckon； in conclusion； the interest taken in descriptions of the daily course of human life。
The comical and satirical literature of the Middle Ages could not dispense with pictures of everyday events。 But it is another thing； when the Italians of the Renaissance dwelt on this picture for its own sakefor its inherent interest and because it forms part of that great； universal life of the world whose magic breath they felt everywhere around them。 Instead of and together with the satirical comedy； which wanders through houses； villages； and streets； seeking food for its derision in parson； peasant； and burgher； we now see in literature the beginnings of a true _genre； _long before it found any expression in painting。 That _genre _and satire are often met with in union； does not prevent them from being wholly different things。
How much of earthly business must Dante have watched with attentive interest； before he was able to make us see with our own eyes all that happened in his spiritual world。 The famous pictures of the busy movement in the arsenal at Venice； of the blind men laid side by side before the church door； and the like； are by no means the only instances of this kind： for the art； in which he is a master； of expressing the inmost soul by the outward gesture； cannot exist without a close and incessant study of human life。 （Cf。 Inferno xxi； 1…6； Purgatorio xiii； 61…66。） The poets who followed rarely came near him in this respect； and the novelists were forbidden by the first laws of their literary style to linger over details。 Their prefaces and narratives might be as long as they pleased； but what we understand by _genre _was outside their province。 The taste for this class of description was not fully awakened till the time of the revival of antiquity。
And here we are again met by the man who had a heart for everything Aeneas Sylvius。 Not only natural beauty； not only that which has an antiquarian or a geographical interest； finds a place in his descriptions； but any living scene of daily life。 Among the numerous passages in his memoirs in which scenes are described which hardly one of his contemporaries would have thought worth a line of notice； we will here only mention the boat…race on the Lake of Bolsena。 We are not able to detect from what old letter…writer or story…teller the impulse was derived to which we owe such lifelike pictures。 Indeed； the whole spiritual communion between antiquity and the Renaissance is full of delicacy and of mystery。
To this class belong those descriptive Latin poems of which we have already spokenhunting…scenes； journeys； ceremonies； and so forth。 In Italian we also find something of the same kind； as； for example； the descriptions of the famous Medicean tournament by Politian and Luca Pulci。 The true epic poets； Luigi Pulci； Boiardo； and Ariosto； are carried on more rapidly by the stream of their narrative； yet in all of them we must recognize the lightness and precision of their descriptive touch as one of the chief elements of their greatness。 Franco Sacchetti amuses himself with repeating the short speeches of a troop of pretty women caught in the woods by a shower of rain。
Other scenes of moving life are to be looked for in the military historians。 In a lengthy poem； dating from an earlier period； we find a faithful picture of a combat of mercenary soldiers in the fourteenth century； chiefly in the shape of the orders； cries of battle； and dialogue with which it is accompanied。
But the most remarkable productions of this kind are the realistic descriptions of country life； which are found most abundantly in Lorenzo il Magnifico and the poets of his circle。
Since the time of Petrarch； an unreal and conventional style of bucolic poetry had been in vogue； which； whether written in Latin or Italian； was essentially a copy of Virgil。 Parallel to this； we find the pastoral novel of Boccaccio and other works of the same kind down to the 'Arcadia' of Sannazaro； and later still； the pastoral comedy of Tasso and Guarini。 They are works whose style； whether poetry or prose is admirably finished and perfect； but in which pastoral life is ideal dress for sentiments which belong to a wholly sphere of culture。
But by the side of all this there appeared in Italian poetry； towards the close of the fifteenth century； signs of a more realistic treatment of rustic life。 This was not possible out of Italy； for here only did the peasant； whether laborer or proprietor； possess human dignity； personal freedom； and the right of settlement； hard as his lot might sometimes be in other respects。 The difference between town and country is far from being so marked here as in northern countries。 Many of the smaller towns are peopled almost exclusively by peasants who； on coming home at nightfall from their work； are transformed into townsfolk。 The masons of Como wandered over nearly all Italy； the child Giotto was free to leave his sheep and join a guild at Florence； everywhere there was a human stream flowing from the country into the cities； and some mountain populations seemed born to supply this current。 It is true that the pride and local conceit supplied poets and novelists with abundant motives for making game of the 'villano；' and what they left undone was taken charge of by the comic improvisers。 But nowhere do we find a trace of that brutal and contemptuous class…hatred against the 'vilains' which inspired the aristocratic poets of Provence； and often； too； the French chroniclers。 On the contrary； Italian authors of every sort gladly recognize and accentuate what is great or remarkable in the life of the peasant。 Gioviano Pontano mentions with admiration instances of the fortitude of the savage inhabitants of the Abruzzi